1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to slide assemblies, and more particularly to drop-in ball bearing slide assemblies.
2. Description of the Related Art
For convenience and to conserve floor space, computer servers for high capacity computer systems are often mounted in rack structures. Typically, several computer servers are mounted in each rack structure. Each server is typically mounted on a pair of slide assemblies to allow the server to slide in and out of the rack structure for convenient access to the server. Each slide assembly comprises two or more slide segments. In slide assemblies comprising only two slide segments, a first or outer slide segment is mounted to a frame of the rack structure, and a second or inner slide segment is mounted to the server. The outer slide segment defines a channel. The inner slide segment is movable in the channel to extend or retract the slide assembly. A bearing assembly is movably positioned in the channel to facilitate sliding movement of the inner slide segment with respect to the outer slide segment.
In quick disconnect slide assemblies, the inner slide segments, which are attached to a computer server, can be entirely removed from the channel and thus detached from the outer slide segments. This allows convenient removal of the computer server from the server rack structure for repair or replacement of the computer server. The inner slide segment remains attached to the computer server when the server is removed from the rack. To replace the computer server in the server rack, the server must be mounted to the inner slide segment. However, in order to put the computer server back into the enclosure or server rack, the inner-slide members (with the computer server attached to them) have to be reinserted to the rest of the slide assembly by guiding the inner slide segment into the outer slide segment. One disadvantage of such slide assemblies is that aligning the inner-slide segments with the outer-slide segments may be difficult, and misalignment of said segments may result in the fall of the computers server, resulting in damage to it or injury to a user.
Conventional drop-in slide assemblies are friction slides. In such slides, mounts attached to the object (e.g., a computer server) drop into slots formed on the inner slide segment, so that a computer server having such mounts can be decoupled from and re-coupled with the slide assembly. However, for heavy load applications, such friction slides are cumbersome and difficult to use due to the increased friction force generated between the slide segments of the slide assembly.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved slide assembly that avoids some of the problems discussed above.